Volvo CEO says bucking trends made brand 'stronger than ever'

Volvo Cars took a number of risks during Hakan Samuelsson's nearly 10-year run as CEO. It decided to commit to electrifying its entire lineup and ditch diesels long before rivals, doing so when the powertrain accounted for the vast majority of Volvo's European sales. It was also the first and only premium brand to limit top speeds in its cars to 180 kph, even in Germany, where most rivals' models can be driven 250 kph or faster. Samuelsson, who will be succeeded by Jim Rowan later this month, said he bucked trends because, "Some things you need to have the balls to just do because it's the right thing to do." In a wide-ranging interview with Automotive News Europe Managing Editor Douglas A. Bolduc Samuelsson also signaled that he is proud he pushed Volvo to open a plant in the U.S. and to become a publicly traded company.